Huntsville gazette., 1887-05-14
A HAUNTED HUT.
Startling Adventure of Hunter in
North Carolina.

In the latter part of the winter of
1879 l was one of a party of eight pros
pecting for mica along the lower slopes
of the great Balsam range in Western
North Carolina. HF.
Trapping was an absorbing pastime,
and more than one of our boys had de-
veloped into quite expert trappers, but
none more so than myself Indeed, my
success in this line had gained for me
no little reputation.
One clear, cold day, with one of the
mountaineers as guide and assistant, 1
left the camp for the purpose of setting
some traps in a different part of the
range from any yet visited.
After long and tedious tramp
through dense junglcs, and many ardu-
Gus climbs up precipitous slopes and
down again, we found ourselves in the
middle of the afternoon near the top of
one of the loftiest peaks and good ten
miles from camp.
We had not intended to consume 80
much time over the traps, but had be-
come so closely occupied as to fail to
note how fast the day was going.
saw an anxious look overspread my
companions face. ..-.
"I'm afraid hits gwineter snow," he
said, after moments troubled exami-
nation of the clouds overhead.
The words were scarcely out when
several flakes began to drift downward.
Our situation was truly an unenvia-
BILE one, on an exposed mountain-top
with an altitude Of more than six thou
sand feet, heavy snow-storm immi-
nent, and the nearest human habita-
ton at least six miles away.
We had gone about three or four
hundred yards further, the storm in
creasing every moment, when suddenly
we came square upon a small, some
what dilapidated log cabin in kind of
hollow or cave at the very base of a
towering ledge of rocks, and so swal-
lowed up in the dense gloom of the
balsams that but for our almost stum-
bling up against it it would have en-
tirely escaped our notice.
With feeling Of devout thankful
ness l placed my hand upon the some
what shaky door for the purpose of
pushing it open to enter, when to my
intense astonishment, my companion
lrew back with a frightened cry.
For Gods sake doan go in thar"
be entreated in hoarse, thick tones.
"Hit's hanted place, an thar's a
curse a-hangin' over it ever sence Jube
Higgins got that bad TUX with ther
arink ez ter murder his wife an baby!
lube hisse'f TUX ter ther mounting an
never was heard of no mo-, an the
;perit o ther 'oman an ther baby's
forever a-hantin' O. ther place an
a-cryin' out I've heard ther voices
many a time myself a-comin' down
her mounting"
In vain stried to demonstrate with
i'm. Like all the mountaineers, l
ound him possessed of no small amount
,f superstition sg 4tftFy t.
.Nothinf good'll come o hit, tell
TeN' he cried, almost frantically. "One
J t'other o. us, mebbe both, III hev
er 90 eff we enter that cursed place. J"
He finally allowed himself to be led
nto the cabin, although could plainly
zee his superstitious fears were by no
means allayed.
1t was double log cabin with a
somewhat large front room and much
mailer back one divided by thin
PARTITION. Overhead in the front room
here was loft reached by a ladder in
he back room.
OF this much took note by the dim
light then pervading the place. |
would have continued my investiga-
ions but for the intense darkness that
lad so suddenly settled down upon us,
aused we'll knew by the increase in
he storm. By means of the leaves and
Tried twigs that had collected near one